Bowden says Clemson closing in on successful past

Posted 5:08PM on Tuesday 5th December 2006 ( 18 years ago )

CLEMSON, S.C. - Clemson is closer to its championship past than it has been in quite some time. And things are only going to get better next year, coach Tommy Bowden believes. Bowden thinks the Tigers (8-4) have shown enough consistency the past few seasons to prove they're yearly contenders in the Atlantic Coast Conference. ``Wake Forest is going to get better. Georgia Tech's going to get better. Florida State and Miami are going to get better and I think we're going to get better,'' Bowden said Tuesday. ``We're a bit more stable than at any time since I've been here.'' Not that Bowden doesn't have regrets. His team began 7-1, rose to No. 10 and marked itself as one of the ACC's best after a 31-7 victory over Georgia Tech on Oct. 21. But the Tigers have dropped three of their final four, including a 31-28 loss to rival South Carolina in their regular-season finale. Despite the slide, Bowden says Clemson's closing in on the achievements of the 1980s when coach Danny Ford's Tigers won the 1981 national title and dominated the ACC. ``I'm not happy with number of wins. I'm not happy with not winning the divisional championship,'' Bowden said. ``Fans disgruntled because we got so close? Good. That's the way it used to be. We're getting it back the way it used to be.'' Although it could be difficult for the players to feel the same energy and motivation when they start practice Friday for their Music City Bowl matchup with Kentucky. The past few seasons, Clemson has finished with a flourish and entered bowl practice with lots of momentum. The Tigers won three straight in 2003 and went on to beat Tennessee in the Peach Bowl. In 2005, Clemson closed the regular season winning five of six and then defeated Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl. ``It does feel a little bit different,'' senior receiver Chansi Stuckey said. Center Dustin Fry thinks the team has too much pride to continue its slide. ``I don't see us packing it in,'' Fry said. ``We want to go out on top.'' To do that, the Tigers need to rediscover their dominance on offense and defense. Led by its ``Thunder'' and ``Lightning'' backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, Clemson led the ACC in rushing. The high-water mark came against Georgia Tech when the two tailbacks racked up 332 yards and accounted for four TDs. Things have not been the same, particularly for Davis, down the stretch. The sophomore had 961 yards and 16 touchdowns the first eight games. He's had 173 and one rushing score since. Bowden said he was told Davis was ``100 percent'' against South Carolina, despite finishing with 19 yards on 11 carries. Spiller said perhaps Davis was bothered by a sore shoulder sustained in the Georgia Tech victory. Spiller is dealing with his own injury issue, an ankle sprain suffered on Clemson's final drive against the Gamecocks. Spiller tried to run Monday but did not have the cutting ability or explosiveness he's used to. ``I'm only about 50, 60 percent,'' Spiller said. He has been told he should be ready to face Kentucky. ``That's what I want to do,'' he said. The defense, led by standout defensive end Gaines Adams, has also struggled near the end. It allowed a season-high 492 yards to the Gamecocks, including 284 passing also a season high. Still, Clemson was one of only two teams in the nation to finish in the top 15 in total offense and defense, and scoring offense and defense. The other? No. 1 Ohio State. Davis and Spiller, along with young defenders like lineman Ricky Sapp and safety Michael Hamlin, are big reasons for Bowden's optimism. ``Clemson University (football) ain't going nowhere but up,'' senior guard Nathan Bennett said. (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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